Malawi not developing, says German Ambassador: Donors say ‘mind the gap between rich and poor’

German ambassador to Malawi Dr. Peter Woeste has said Malawi has failed to move forward economically in the past five years as compared to its neighbors.

German Ambassador,Dr Peter Woeste with Finance Economic Planning and Development Minister, Dr. Goodal Gondwe, address the press on Second High Level Forum Meeting at BICC in Lilongwe-(c) Abel Ikiloni, Mana

Finance Minister Goodal Gondwe with German Ambassador, Dr. Peter Woeste address the Press after the Second High Level Forum Meeting on Development Effectiveness at BICC in Lilongwe-(c) Abel Ikiloni, Mana

Woeste, who is the current chairperson of the Development partners Troika, threw away all the diplomatic language and was blunt to Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe and other senior cabinet ministers at a high level Forum on Development effectiveness at Bingu International Conference Center (BICC) in Lilongwe on Wednesday, saying.donors are not happy with government policies that are partly to blame for endless poverty.

“The current policies need to be changed to meet the changing times,” he said.

He described the poverty situation in Malawi as a crisis which needs urgent attention.

“We, the donors are analysing this, we want to find out why Malawians are becoming poorer and poorer yet we are providing US$1 billion a year to reduce poverty, we want to find out what is wrong,” he said.

He said there should be policy changes and government should ensure that more investment comes into the country.

Among other things Woeste cited a sharp decline in GDP from 2014 to date and the ever increasing number of people in need of food.

According to Woeste US$ 1 billion is invested in the country from donors annually and wondered “why is the country failing to progress. We are asking ourselves why didn’t the billions of euros, dollars and pounds in more than fifty years bring results we and all Malawians have been striving for”.

Woeste also tipped government to make its priorities clear and invest in those initiatives that have the greatest development return.

On corruption, he said it is surprising that the country is still struggling to fight the vice despite President Peter Mutharika been clear that he will fight the Mal-practice.

“We are still reading about new scandals almost every day, the investigative journalism in itself is a good sign. In this regard Malawi is a fine example for press freedom. However the follow up needs to be improved, “ he said.

The German envoy also said he gets “annoyed” when donors are asked “like headmasters about what they think” after Parliament presentation of budgets – which they normally comment diplomatically to speak positives.

Taking his turn, Minister of Finance and economic planning Goodal Gondwe conceded that the country is going through tough times but said government is working hard to reverse the situation.

He said it’s time to change some policies that are no longer relevant in the current situation citing the subsidy policy.

“We need to review the Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) because it focuses much on smallholder farmers and now we cannot only be producing for subsistence we need to sell our produce,” he said.

Gondwe said : “We will always listen to our development partners on what we should do to improve the situation, we will always listen.”

The concern by donors come at a time when ruling Democratic Progressive Party officials led by President Peter Mutharika are crisscrossing the country, telling people that life has tremendously improved in the two year rule of the party.

The high Level Forum on Develepment was called on to allow stakeholders discuss a new National Development Strategy as the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy expires this month.

Atenge aid money Yawoyo Yomwe anachita accumulate by enslaving anthu akuda all over the world. From the Congo making the Congolese work for free to produce rubber for King Leopold and chopping of limbs so that Europeans can have cars with tyres Michelin and all them devil companies. to south Africa making Africans work in the gold mines for next to nothing and taking the resources to build Europe . to thangata system right here in our back yard. . To unfair trade practices and corrupt practices which African people still haven’t recovere from and you want to talk about… Read more »

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2 years ago

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Kampoloma

Goodall aside but how long will Malawi remain a “slave” to these neocolonial masters?

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2 years ago

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Kalata Ya Muwerengi

This could in part be because some of the monies donated is embezzled by officials from the donor nations.

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2 years ago

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Dwambazi

What poverty crisis ????? Our stupid leaders need to first accept that we are indeed poor and that the money they pocket is not meant for them but for the poor people who put them in office.

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2 years ago

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Issa

The man Woeste is right, however we are the problem. We smile at stupid things. We don’t hold our leaders accountable. Our choices determine our destiny. Imagine dpp telling you that your life has improved and you smile and clap for him, Amalawi timasekerera dzopusa that’s why we cant develop. We prefer political parties at the expense of development. May be we need to define poverty. What do we really mean when we say Malawi is poor? Help me guys.

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2 years ago

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Jon Maken

HUMANS OF MALAWI The impatience and angst are well founded. We are evidently in a state of collective defective equilibrium. As the donors diplomatically imply, unless we wake up from the perennial slumber, we are bequeathing rot to posterity and condemning future generations to more misery. When shall we stand tall among the league of nations? When shall we cease being referenced to as the first amongst the poorest? What’s so special about countries that have made it? Where is our national pride? We have for long approached government and governance nonchalantly; as if we are contented with the status… Read more »

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2 years ago

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Winston Msowoya

By all means,Malawians will never escape from the present day economic and political quagmires in the sense that the leader himself is deeply corrupt and viciously divisive.As one unlettered commentator put it that Peter is an honest leader,himself too,is not honest for telling dishonest opinions.The fact remains that under Peter’s stewardship,the economy of our country will remain stagnant for the rest of our lives,while himself and his cronies continue to fill their foreign bank accounts,right now people are just looking to God to emancipate them from the MOLTEN LAVA spewing poisonous gas.The amount Malawi receives from the donor nations and… Read more »

The observation by the Donor Community (DC) through Woeste is very correct, cancerous and painful at the same time. What I do not understand is his feigning ignorance as to why? Also what I do not understand is his period of analysis, 5 years as if we were developed the period before that. Are you (Woeste) sure that DC provides $1 billion per year to Malawi since when (again the last five years??), Jesus wept!! If the facts from WOESTE are something to BELIEVE it is him and his colleagues (DC) that are a problem to our poverty. What this… Read more »